Coin separator



April 1938 o. MILLER 2,1139? COIN SEPARATOR Filed Feb. 24, 1936'ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 12, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFl 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a coin separator, and more particularlyapplicable to a coin and token separator for use in fare boxes of thetype used upon street railway and buss systems. The invention relatesmore particularly to the type of fare box shown in applicants Patent INo. 1,941,707.

The invention is designed as an element of the complete fare box.Spurious and oversize and other undesirable coins and tokens will beeliminated before the separator to which this invention relates isreached. Coin counting and registering devices will receive the coinsfrom. the separator, therefore the coin separator forms but a part ofthe complete fare box mechanism.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a coin separatingmechanism in which all moving parts have been eliminated; and which willaccurately separate coins of various sizes from a continuously passingstream. of coins.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of theinvention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efiiciency.These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is hadto the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numeralsrefer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout thedescription.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved separator.

Fig. 2 is a side View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a cross section, taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 illustrates the coin track cover plate.

In. Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the coin track cover plate has been removed toillustrate the internal track mechanism.

The invention comprises: a coin track inclined in two directions, oneincline being designed to cause the coins to travel downwardly along thetrack and the other incline being designed to cause the coins to resttheir weight against a separating plate as they travel. The separatingplate against which the coins rest is provided with openings of variousheighths which allow coins of various sizes to tilt into the openings.The tilting of the coins turns them from their path and they are thendirected into individual receiving chutes.

One method of constructing the improved coin separator is illustrated inthe drawing, in which,

' an inclined separating plate is indicated at It]. A bottom guide bar Hextends along the lower edge of the separating plate In. The separatingplate is inclined, first, rearward to cause the coins tolay'thereagainst as they rest on the guide bar I I; second, downwardlyto cause the coins to roll along the guide bar ll.

The coins are fed onto the separating plate ID from a curved coin slot I2 which in turn. receives the coins from any desired feeding mechanismsuch as indicated at I3. Each coin as it enters, strikes a pivoted lever14 actuated by means of a coil spring 15. The spring has just sufiioienttension to allow a dropping coin to pass the lever l4 so that the leveracts to initially force the coins against the guide bar II and also toprevent them from bouncing away from the guide bar. Thus each coin iscaused to roll edgewise along the guide bar II.

The separating plate I0 is provided with a series of openings l6 ofsuccessively increasing heighth. These openings are shaped asillustrated with their upper edges curving downwardly to form forwardedges [8 which extend to the guide bar H. A lower edge or flange l'lextends partially across each of the openings l6 adjacent the guide barll. These flanges terminate short of the rear edges 18 of the openingsso as to leave an opening or passage l9. Adjacent each of thesepassages, the flanges I! are tapered or bevelled, to form in an inclinedpassage. 0

Back of each opening [6 is an angularly positioned tilting plate 2|].The tilting plates 20 direct the coins against a back plate 2 l. Thecoins after entering the openings lit and passing to the back plate 2|may be directed to any desirable points through suitable chutes.

In the embodiment illustrated, four of the openings 16 are shown, moreor less could be used as desired. This separator is designed to separate0 five different coins. From three of the openings I 6, guide chutes 22lead beneath the guide bar II to one side of the device. From theuppermost opening, a guide chute 23 leads through the back plate to theother side of the device, and from the end of the separating plate It, aguide chute 24 leads directly from the end of the device. These guidechutes direct the coins in separate passageways such as indicated at 25to any desired receiving mechanism, such as to a 50 recording device asshown in applicants said prior Patent 1,941,707.

Let us assume that the smallest size coin is dropped from the mechanism13 into the receiving slot l2. This coin will be forced against theguide bar II by the spring lever 14. As it passes over the first openingI6, its upper edge will fall back through the first opening I6 againstthe tilting plate 20. The angle of this plate will tilt the coin fromits line of travel and cause it to roll from the guide bar I! throughthe passage I9 to the back plate 2|. In the device as illustrated,'theback plate at this point is provided with an opening 25 which passes thecoin to the chute 23.

The next larger coin will pass the first opening it since its widthallows it to rest on the upper edge of the opening. It will,'howevertilt into the second opening, and roll through the passage iii to thechute 22. The action will be similar for the next two successivelylarger coins. The largest coin or token for which the machine isdesigned will override all of the openings and pass off the end of theseparating plate In to the chute 24.

In use, the separating portion of the mechanism is covered by means of acover plate 26, and the complete separator is enclosed in a face boxsuch as illustrated in applicants Patent 1,9i1,'707, and indicated inproper line at 25, Fig. 2. It is desired to call attention to the factthat the coins do not fall through the openings I8, nor do they tiltinto the openings and slide over the guide plate II. Both of thesemethods were found to be unsatisfactory. In this device, the coins aredirected away from their straight path along the guide bar H and areturned so as to travel a side path through the passages l9.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described andillustrated herein, it is desired' to be understood that the same may bevaried, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired securedby Letters Patent A coin separator comprising: an inclined separatingplate having coin-receiving openings of successively increasing heighth,said separating plate being tilted backwardly along its incline; a guidebar extending along the lower edge of said separating plate; and asupporting flange extending partially across the bottom of a coinreceiving opening adjacent said guide bar and terminating before thelower edge of the opening is reached so as to provide a passage for saidcoin to roll from said guide bar through said openings the lowerextremities of said flanges being bevelled rearwardly at each of saidpassages.

OSCAR MILLER.

